


be still my foolish heart

by DinoRoar



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Divergence - Post-Hogwarts, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Communication, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, George Weasley is a Good Boyfriend, Harry Potter Gets the Love He Deserves, Holiday Fic Exchange, M/M, Pet Names, Post-Hogwarts, Protectiveness, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29271234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinoRoar/pseuds/DinoRoar
Summary: Harry had never experienced a proper Christmas before, so George makes it his mission to give his boyfriend the best Christmas possible.
Relationships: Harry Potter/George Weasley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26
Collections: A Marauder Holiday Exchange





	be still my foolish heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DobbyRocksSocks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DobbyRocksSocks/gifts).



Harry couldn’t believe what he was seeing. When he left for work that morning, their living room was the same as always. Blankets trailing off the sofa and onto the floor, cushions askew and a pile of quills and parchment towering over the coffee table. The rug had bunched up, a consequence of his constant pacing, and the television was coated in a thin layer of dust from disuse. Yet somehow in the few hours he had spent at work, the living room had been transformed into a winter wonderland of childhood dreams. 

Fake snow lay scattered across the tables, polar bears were nestled in the crooks of the fireplace, and penguins peeked out from the bookshelf. Icicles cascaded down from the ceiling while dainty little snowflakes fell out of nowhere, disappearing as they touched the ground. A towering castle of gingerbread sat perched upon the now tidy table, and fairy lights twinkled from all corners of the room. 

It was truly magnificent, and yet Harry couldn’t understand how it had all come to be. There was no reason for his house to look so wonderfully festive. Harry rarely bothered to decorate each year, usually opting for a single Christmas tree that Teddy would decorate when he came over. It was simple and easy to put away, a remnant of his childhood with the Dursleys. 

George never seemed to mind the lack of decoration all too much. They spent the majority of their time at The Burrow over Christmas anyway, so decorations were never really high on their list of priorities. Harry was truly baffled; as he shuffled further into the room things continued to catch his eye. A pair of giant nutcrackers had been placed on either side of the door frame, guards positioned to keep watch over the grotto of festivity. A grand tree had been pushed into the room, tinsel tumbled across its form while a shimmering star perched upon the top. It was over the top to the highest of extremes; it screamed George, and Harry loved it.

“Harry! You're home early.” George danced his way into the room, startled at the appearance of his boyfriend. Harry noticed as his hands clenched tighter around the large wooden sleigh he was carrying.

“Kingsley let me go early today, said to start the holidays off early.” Harry paused, taking in the way his boyfriend shifted under his watchful eyes. “I see you've gone all out on the decorating this year.” 

“Uh, I just added a few things. The reindeer are still drying. I had to give them another coat of paint, they weren't nearly glittery enough for my liking.” George began to ramble, listing off the things he still needed to finish. “The fireworks are almost ready too, just need a quick test and then there's the igloo-”

“George.”

“-which is pretty much finished actually, but I did want to add an ice skating rink alongside it-”

“George!”

“-but I’m not sure if that’s too much really in the grand scheme of things.” He paused, mentally running through the checklist he had created, not seeing as Harry’s eyes proceeded to widen in shock with every new addition to the list. “Oh, and the cookies, oh Merlin, they’re burning!” 

“I did try to tell you that,” Harry said, chuckling. 

George practically flew out of the room and into the kitchen, his ginger hair sticking up in every direction as he grew flustered. He tried to pull open the oven door with the sleigh tucked under his arm, while simultaneously flapping at the billowing smoke with a tea towel. 

“Anyway, what’s with all the decorations? Usually we just have the tree.”

George paused, arm raised towards the beeping fire alarm, as he tried to shut the oven door with his foot. He began to worry his bottom lip between his teeth as he avoided Harry's curious eyes.

“No reason really, just thought maybe Teddy would like it,” mumbled George, ducking his head as he brought the tray of cookies closer to his chest.

“Teddy’s spending Christmas with Andy this year, we discussed it a few weeks ago George,” he corrected, poking holes in George's weak explanation. “So what's the real reason behind the overabundance of winter festivity?”

George sighed, clearly wishing to be anywhere else in that moment, before steeling his shoulders and turning to face his conflicted boyfriend. “I did it for you Harry.”

“What? Why would you do all of this for me?” Harry questioned.“I don't even really like Christmas.”

“No, Harry, you never experienced a proper Christmas. The Dursleys never let you have that experience.” George paused, taking a deep breath as he steadied himself. “You never had the Christmas every child wishes for, and because of that you’ve decided you don’t like it.”

Harry couldn't comprehend the words. He rarely thought about the people who mistreated him, the people who showed him no love throughout his childhood. Dudley was lavished with gifts on both Christmas and his birthday, while Harry looked on, receiving nothing from the people he was forced to call his family. Harry rarely thought about what he went through as a child, and yet now that he was confronted with it, George was right. 

“I never thought of it like that.” His legs began to quiver as he leaned against the counter top, struggling to come to terms with the realisation that he had unintentionally continued to live under the ruling of his aunt and uncle. 

“I know you didn't, love. It's all you ever knew, and I just wanted to show you what Christmas can really be like, how magical it can be and how much fun you can have with it all.” 

George spoke softly, wrapping his arms around Harry, encasing him in the warmth of his loving embrace. 

“I know, and it really is beautiful, George. Honestly, I can’t believe you put so much effort into this, and all for me.”

“Well, I do love you quite a bit, I mean, I made a life size igloo for you.” George smirked down at Harry, gently sweeping the hair out of his eyes. “And I was being serious about that ice skating rink, by the way.”

“Oh, I expected nothing less from you, my love.”


End file.
